Category Archives: Alumni

James W. “Jimmy” Rane, chairman, president and CEO of Great Southern Wood Holdings, Inc., was named “Citizen of the Year” by the Alabama Broadcasters Association earlier this week. The award was presented at a luncheon during the group’s annual conference with hundreds of broadcasters from across the state in attendance. This award recognizes contributions to education, business, professional, civic or philanthropic efforts that have benefited Alabama citizens. Rane is an Auburn University alumnus and serves as President Pro Tempore of the Board of Trustees.

Nominations are being accepted through Friday, May 30, for the 2014-2015 Auburn Alumni Association Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Awards, the Minority Achievement Award, the Young Alumni Achievement Award and the Lifetime Achievement Awards.

AUBURN UNIVERSITY – Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has received a $10.55 million philanthropic investment from Walter S. “Walt” and Virginia E. “Ginger” Woltosz to support its students’ educational needs and faculty’s research efforts, while bolstering the technical advances of its research facilities. Their charitable gift is the second largest in the college’s history. In recognition of their support, the Auburn University Board of Trustees voted to name engineering’s central research facility in the Shelby Center for Engineering Technology as the Woltosz Engineering Research Laboratory.

Walt Woltosz earned a bachelor’s degree in 1969 and a master’s degree in 1977 in aerospace engineering from Auburn and also holds a master’s in administrative science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He is chairman and CEO of Simulations Plus, a company he founded in 1996 that is a leading developer of simulation and modeling software for drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Simulations Plus products are used by more than 200 pharmaceutical firms, including the world’s Top 25, helping to analyze new products and saving millions of dollars in research and development costs.

AUBURN UNIVERSITY – Charles D. and Lisa Q. Miller of Birmingham have donated $1 million to the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University to create a new endowed faculty chair. The philanthropic gift will provide funding to maintain a top faculty member with experience and expertise in engineering and business practices, enabling the college to offer a relevant business foundation to its engineering students.

“I am pleased about what this gift will create for Auburn’s engineering students,” said Charlie. “It will provide them with a solid understanding of business principles and enable them to stand out among their peers in the engineering and business world.”

AUBURN UNIVERSITY – Echo Garrett, a 1982 Auburn University alumna, award-winning author and co-founder of the Orange Duffel Bag Initiative, will provide the keynote address for the Women’s Philanthropy Board 2014 Winter Workshop, Expo and Luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.

Garrett’s presentation, “Why It’s Not Too Late for Our Nation’s Most Vulnerable Teens,” will cap off the day’s events which include a morning leadership, mentoring and career panel session with three fellow Auburn alumni: Beverly Farrington, ’77, founder and principal designer, Accents of the South Inc.; Vickie Orr Wiley, ’93, Auburn basketball legend, Olympian and current administrator at the Harris Early Learning Center in Birmingham; and retired Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, ’74, Auburn’s senior counsel for national security programs, cyber programs and military affairs. Each panelist will provide insight into their occupations and organizations and serve as mentors for students and other attendees.

AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn University Agricultural Alumni Association will pay tribute to five individuals for the significant contributions they have made to the state’s agricultural industry during its 2014 Alabama Agricultural Hall of Honor banquet, Feb. 13 at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel and Conference Center at Grand National in Opelika.

Three of the five honorees will be inducted into the association’s Hall of Honor, including Jimmy Sanford of Prattville, representing production agriculture; Abbeville businessman Lester Killebrew Sr., the honoree from the agribusiness sector; and Albert McDonald of Huntsville, recipient in the education/government category.